Equipment for protecting ships and fortifications against torpedoes and other objects



Oct. 12 1926. R. WRIGHT .603,097

EQUIPMENT FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES AND OTHER OBJECTS Filed Feb. 25, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 12 Q1926. 1,603,097

R. L. WRIGHI EQUIPMENT FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIF'ICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES AND OTHER OBJECTS Filed Feb. 23, 191 2 Sheets-Sheet a VII f/Ill/Ill n 1, 5 nun/2' VIIIIII Suva dot,

l atenterl (diet. 12, 192%..

ROBERT LEE WRIGHT, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; WILLIE CROCKETT VTRIGHT ADWIINISTEATR-IX OF SAID ROBERT LEE W'RIGIIT, DECEASED.

EQUIPMENT FOR PROTECTING SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS AGAINST TORPEDOES AND I OTHER OBJECTS.

Application filed February 23, 1918.

This invention relates to ships and fortifications, and particularly to means for protecting said ships and fortifications against the attack of torpedoes and other objects.

The object of the invention is to provide the ships or fortifications with a plurality of guns mounted in a suitable manner and also a plurality of tubes, rods or similar projections, with or without, bombs of indefinite and different suitable lengths for the purpose of intercepting the torpedo and other objects as they approach the ships or fortifications, and so constructed that when one of the projections is struck a gun will be fired at the attacking torpedo or other objects and destroy the same before they reach the ships and fortifications against which they are launched.

iVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a ship showing' my improved armament.

Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved armament, applied to a ship.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing my improved method of ship defense.

Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a circular deck equipped with my invention.

Fig. 5 is a view showing another method of automatically firing one of the guns.

Fig. 6 is a side View of Fig. t, and

Fig. '4' shows a modification of my projectile.

Fig. 8 represents a plan view of a fortification equipped withmy torpedo destroying devices in all ways as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view show ing the electrical contacts operated by the projections.

The numeral 1 indicates the ship provided with my improved guns 3 upon the deck thereof, said guns being provided with automatic firing means presently described. Each gun is provided with a breech mech- Serial No. 213,798.

anism 5 which closes behind the charge 6, and detonating cap 7 placed in front of the breech mechanism.

The hull of the ship is provided with a plurality of tubes 15 arranged in rows around the ship above and beneath the sun face of the water. The tubes are provided preferably with pointed contact points or firing pins 16 projecting beyond the ends thereof, and in such position as to intercept the path of a torpedo traveling toward the ship as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

fhe tubes 15 are slidable in tubes 0 provided with anti-friction rollers c and a cap 0 having a suitable handle screwed over the end of the tubes 0. By removing the cap the tubes 15 may be withdrawn and replaced in case of accident of any kind. The tubes 15 are divided into insulated compartments a and b, in the former of which are mounted the slidable points or firing pins 16.

The inner ends of the points or firing pins 16 are provided with contacts 16 which make a Contact with a. contact plate 16 and close the circuit through the conduits 20, the battery 21 and conduits 22 and the detonation or explosive cap 7 in the gun 3. The closing of the circuit will cause the gun with which the particular tubes are associated to be fired and as the gun is aimed toward the points of the tubes, a torpedo or otherobject coming against the points of the tubes will be destroyed by the shell from the gun and the ship saved in consequence.

' In Fig. 5 of the drawings the projectile is also provided with a rod 10 having a case 11 on the outer end thereof, a bomb 12 with a percussion cap engageable by the point 13,

is enclosed in the case 11 and exploded by a point or firing pin 13 controlled by a spring 14 and a. percussion cap 14?. The inner end of the rod 10 passes through the shell and powder charge and is pointed on the end to act as a firing pin against the cap or detonator 7 in the chamber 6. The guns are.

mounted in bearings upon the deck of ship and fortification in groups or around the entire ship and fortification.

In Figs. 4 and 6 the ship is provided with a circular deck 2 upon which the guns 3 with their respective tubes 15 are mounted.

In Fig. a single tube is used to convey the electric conduits instead of the double tube shown in Fig. 3. Conduits 22 and 23 complete the circuit to the firing cap.

The breech. block 5 may be equipped with the ordinary firing pin 5 in order that any or all of the guns .may be fired separately.

In Fig. 7 .a shell is shown in which the shell is secured in a cartridge 24 having a detonating cap 33. The nose of-the projectile is provided with a. tube 25 in the outer end of which is a slide or firing pin 27 having a firing pin 28 and a contact point 29.

A spring 30 lies between the firing pin 27 and a contact 31. An insulated wire 32 connects the contact with the cap 33.

hen an object hits the firing pin 28 it is forced in against the spring 30 and completes the circuit through the shell to-the cap 33. A'battery 34: is placed in the firing pin in the tube 25 to supply electric current to the circuit.

In Fig. 8, 1 is the fortification on which firing tubes 15 leading to the guns are extended out any suitable distance; 16 is the point of a. firing pin in the end of each tube which pin, when engaged is operative to complete a circuit to fire the guns 3 autoinatically when the torpedo hits said pin, the torpedo thus destroying itself with the shot from the gunsS.

Other guns not shown in the drawings and not explained in this specification may be mounted on the ship and pointed in the direction of the submarine that fires the torpedo and be fired by running the electric 'wire to them from the tube 15, when the torpedo hits the tubes 15., it fires the guns.

A bell with a suitable indicator is secured in a convenient place on the ships or fortifications, in order to show what particular gun has been fired so that the same may be reloaded before another attack can be directed against the ships or fortifications.

Each gun may be provided with :1. normally open circuit closer of any desired type having one terminal of each connected together and then connected to a lead 40 extending to the bell 41, the other terminal of the bell being connected by means of a lead 42 to the base or other object upon which the guns are mounted and are grounded, the other terminal of the circuit closer being con nected to said ground. A battery is inserted in the lead 42. The guns may thus be arranged in groups and all of the guns of one group provided with a signal, thus enabling any particularly discharged gun to be 10- I cated and identified.

Figure 9, the forward part of a contact firing pin secured in the forward end of the projection extending out from the ship or fortification is indicated at 16 The electric contact firing pins in the rear end of the firing pin that comes in contact with the contact plates 19 when a torpedo or object strikes the forward end of the contact firing pin 16 are indicated at 18 The electric wires that carrythe electric current from the electric contact plates 19 are indicated at 20 The electric wires that carry the electric current from the electric battery 3 to the electric contact firing pins 18 are indicated at 20 The guns on the ship or fortification are indicated at 15. The electric wires that carry the electric current to each gun and fire the guns are indicated at 3.

The electric wires that carry the electric current to the electric indicator A and electric bell 8 and operate same are indicated at 3.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details .of the construction as well as the arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

I reserve the right to use'any of the well known timedevices on the gun shells, bombs, projectiles, cartridges and other explosives.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A gun mounted on a ship or fortification, a plurality of projections secured to the ship or fortification, the extremities .of said projections in range of said gun, and means for firing said gun when said projections are struck by a torpedo or other object coming toward said ship or fortification, substantially as described and shown.

2. A ship or fortification provided with a plurality of guns, a plurality of projections associated with each gun and in range of said gun, and means provided for firing said guns when the projections are struck by a torpedo or other object coming toward said ship or fortification.

3. A fortification or ship provided with a plurality of guns, a plurality of tubular projections with or without bombs secured to the fortification or ship and in range of said guns and means for firing said guns when the ends of said projections are struck by a torpedo or other object coming toward said fortification or ship whereby said torpedo or object is automatically put out of action by the firing of the guns.

4. In combination with a vessel, a member extending from the side thereof, a gun mounted upon the deck and pointed toward the extremity of said member, an electrically operable igniting device in the gun, a circuit closer at the extremity of said member and a circuit including a source, of current, connecting said circuit closer with the electric igniting device.

5. A fortification including a plurality of radially arranged members in lowered posi tion, a plurality of radially disposed guns mounted at an elevation and directed clownwardly, said guns being directed at the points lUU of the members, an electrically operable igniting device in each gun, a circuit closer at the extremity of each member, and circuits including a source of current connecting each circuit closer with an adjacent electric igniting device for the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the character described, a tubular casing, rollers mounted therein, a cap threadedly engaged upon one end of the casing, a tubular member slidably mounted in the opposite end of the casing, said tubular member having two parallel channels extending therethrough, electric wires in said channels, a movable member in the extremity of one channel, means Within said channel operable to close an electric circuit When the movable member is engaged against a torpedo or object.

7. A fortification or ship having a projection in combination With electric Wiring and other means, said projection extending out from said fortification or ship and having an explosive charge secured to said projection and means to ignite said explosive charge secured to said projection and means to fire a gun mounted upon said fortification or ship when the forward end of said pro-- jection comes in contact with a torpedo or other objects.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set no hand.

y ROBERT LEE WRIGHT. 

